The most important part of planning a wedding is setting your budget. Your budget is important because it is next to impossible to know what you can afford for each major part of the wedding if you don't set an overall cost that is comfortable for you. You will probably find that deciding the budget is the hardest job to do because, of course, you want to have the best and most memorable wedding you can possibly have.
The days when the wedding was paid for by the parents of the bride are almost gone now. Parents will often contribute to the wedding cost as a gift to the couple, but it is pretty rare for parents to cover the whole cost of the wedding.
Usually this is because the parents simply can't afford it. But couples today often prefer to pay for their own weddings because it ensures that they can plan them the way that they want to without interference.
These days, 4 out of 5 couples pay for their own wedding and it helps to know how your budget should be broken down.
When creating your budget, you will first begin with the overall amount that you can afford to spend. The average wedding today costs approximately $19,000. This is not a definite, but this is what the statistics currently show.
Now you will need to take that overall budget amount and split it percentage-wise for each major aspect of your wedding e.g. how much to spend on the wedding clothing, the rings, catering, decorating the venue etc. If you are not good at percentages, you can always utilize the Internet and check with the various websites that offer you free or cheap wedding budget calculators that will do it for you.
With these calculators, all that you have to do is input the total budget amount and then they will calculate for you how much money in dollars you will be able to spend on each component of your wedding.
Once you have figured out the dollar amount that you can spend on each component of the wedding, you can then begin to create a list itemizing everything.
You will need to put together a list of all the areas of your wedding that are important to you and make sure that you allocate a sensible proportion of the total budget to each.
This is necessary so that you can see if the wedding of your dreams is a realistic expectation given what you can afford to spend. If you come up short, here are some ideas to enable you to trim the expenses:
? Reduce the size of the guest list
? Forego some of the services
? Reduce the size of the wedding party
? Forget the extras like limos
It is only by setting down on paper a budget you can afford and listing all of the areas that you have to spend money on that you can begin to refine your ideas on the type and scope of wedding that it is realistic for you to aim for.
Afterall, you will have plenty of expenses to cover after the wedding when starting out on your married life together. It just doesn't make sense to create problems by over-stretching financially on the wedding.
Alan Allport is Webmaster at http://www.wedding-source.best-gen.com where he has published a FREE Online guide to planning the perfect wedding on a budget
pet-friendly home cleaners Morton Grove ..The reception alone will bust your wedding budget if you're... Read More
A 2005 mother of bride dress tends to have a... Read More
What about this business of food for lovers? Is it... Read More
Many people believe that weddings have to be costly. But... Read More
Planning a bridal shower? Maybe a dear friend or even... Read More
Rounding up the guys to devour some barbecued red meat... Read More
Bless the bride... and God help the video maker. True.... Read More
Let's talk about writing love letters.Not candy coated pap. Not... Read More
Wedding favors are a delightful detail for any wedding shower,... Read More
It is absolutely possible to find a beautiful and affordable... Read More
There is nothing more romantic than a wedding by water... Read More
He's popped the question and you're dying to tell someone.... Read More
A wedding is one of the most special days planned... Read More
Have you heard enough about the "Runaway Bride" yet? Well,... Read More
You have your band (around your finger), now it's time... Read More
Henry Vlll and Elizabeth Taylor, who between them had fourteen... Read More
OK, so you have your heart set on the top... Read More
Marriage counseling is an investment of money, time, and energy... Read More
If your wedding or party is being held in a... Read More
Most visitors to Hawaii would agree that Maui is the... Read More
The most enjoyable part of the wedding reception is the... Read More
Sometimes a wedding arch is a no-brainer way to spruce... Read More
The great day has come and gone, and you are... Read More
One of my favorite memories from last year was not... Read More
Personalized wedding favors are among the most popular of gift... Read More
reliable maid service Lincolnshire ..If you forget the ring, there is still a chance... Read More
There is nothing more romantic than a wedding by water... Read More
When people plan to marry, they expect to find in... Read More
The tradition of hosting a bridal shower for the bride... Read More
Gatlinburg in Tennessee is the city with streets of art... Read More
The look of the wedding invitations you send will not... Read More
Give disc jockey's credit. Many of them have endured so... Read More
Bridal accessories are as necessary to complete the bridal look,... Read More
Games for a wedding shower are the best ways to... Read More
The most enjoyable part of the wedding reception is the... Read More
Every woman in the room agreed that Crichton was a... Read More
Just as destination weddings are fast growing in popularity, so... Read More
Weddings are momentous occasions to all people involved; especially the... Read More
When it comes to wedding music, there are some choices... Read More
The typical wedding reception entertainment scheme of pretty flowers and... Read More
Wedding shower favors are a way to extend gratitude from... Read More
Tahiti honeymoon resorts are the best places you could think... Read More
Your Wedding Favors are a little bit of your wedding... Read More
When it comes to your catering services for your wedding,... Read More
Believe it or not, there is etiquette on how to... Read More
After choosing the design for your wedding invitations you can... Read More
The enchanting Belize honeymoon resorts captivate every visitor through the... Read More
Despite all the fashionable theories of marriage, the narratives and... Read More
As you reach 30 and beyond, you encounter a very... Read More
You have purchased the latest bridal magazines from your local... Read More
Marriage & Wedding |